World Food Programme To Assist Hurricane-Affected Communities In Cuba

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is gearing up to
assist 1.78 million Cubans affected by hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which
pummeled the island in late August and early September. The newly approved
emergency operation will support the Cuban government as it responds to
communities needing food assistance in areas that bore the brunt of
hurricane damage.



"WFP is playing an important role helping people who suffered great losses
in the storms," said Sonsoles Ruedas, WFP Representative in Cuba, adding
that these were two of the worst hurricanes to strike Cuba in the past
fifty years.



Over the next six months, WFP will provide food rations - comprised of
rice, beans, vegetable oil, canned fish and CSB (a blended food compound
of maize and soy fortified with vitamins and minerals) - at a cost of
US$5.7 million. As well as providing rations to communities that have
been affected by the hurricanes, WFP will supply temporary food storage
warehouses and liquid gas stoves to people who lost cooking facilities in
the storms.



"As on previous occasions, we trust in the generosity of donors to carry
out this operation which will allow us to provide assistance to affected
populations," added Ruedas.



The new emergency operation will be carried out in close collaboration
with the Ministry of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation (MINVEC)
which will coordinate the timely distribution of commodities at a national
level along with the Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN).



WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency and the UN's frontline
agency for hunger solutions. This year, WFP plans to feed 90 million people
in 80 countries.



Source


Gregory Barrow, WFP/Rome

Alejandro Chicheri, WFP/Latin America and the Caribbean

Elio Rujano, WFP/Latin America and the Caribbean

Caroline Hurford, WFP/London

Jennifer Parmelee, WFP/Washington

Bettina Luescher, WFP/New York


WFP